Medic 32 is now temporarily housed at Station 37 (at 35th and Holden) because its permanent base, Station 32 in The Triangle, is soon to be demolished and rebuilt. The other crews from Station 32 should be at its interim location (4731 40th SW, future city park site) by now (we’ll be checking). Back to 37′s open house today:

visitors of all ages enjoyed learning what Seattle Fire crews do – even the engine and truck crews go out to more medical calls than actual fires.

Most years, Neighbor Appreciation Day has more than one fire-station open house per area, but 37 was the only one today because of work under way or about to get under way at 32, 29 (in Admiral), and 11 (in Highland Park). Station 37 is West Seattle’s newest fire station, opened in 2010; the city closed and sold off its previous location at 35th and Othello (now a private residence).

Today’s impromptu wildlife theme continues, this time away from the shore – We’ve received three reports of coyote sightings in Sunrise Heights around mid-afternoon. Jeremy shared the photos (taken from a distance – we cropped them), after seeing two “wandering down 27th near Othello” in the 2 pm hour.

Not long after that, Ellery saw two coyotes that “just strolled by in front of my house on 32nd Ave at Holden St.” That’s also where Sarah reported seeing them. (Here’s a map showing both aforementioned locations.)

If you haven’t seen coyote mentions here before … we’ve been publishing reader reports of sightings for more than seven years; here’s the archive. The more awareness, and the more that we all follow advice such as not leaving food out, the more likelihood of continuing to minimize closeup conflict. (The state Fish and Wildlife “Living with Wildlife” page that we usually recommend seems to be inaccessible right now, so here’s another page full of info/advice.)

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2014/12/west-seattle-coyotes-2-together-seen-in-sunrise-heights/feed/13West Seattle Crime Watch: Rock-throwing thief steals smartphonehttp://westseattleblog.com/2014/08/west-seattle-crime-watch-rock-throwing-thief-steals-smartphone/
http://westseattleblog.com/2014/08/west-seattle-crime-watch-rock-throwing-thief-steals-smartphone/#commentsWed, 27 Aug 2014 22:18:07 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=283805West Seattle Crime Watch reports have included more than a few smartphone thefts, but never one quite like this. It’s believed someone threw a rock through a window in order to steal an iPhone – whose owner was asleep right next to it. According to the Seattle Police report summary, this happened early Sunday morning on 28th SW in Sunrise Heights. The victim said she had been sleeping on a couch when a football-size rock smashed through the window directly above her. She ran to check on the three young children who also were home; they were OK, so she went to get her phone to make a call – and couldn’t find it. She told police it had been plugged in to charge, on the edge of the couch, under the window. Glass from the broken window cut her hands and legs, so Seattle Fire responded for medical aid. Police had already been called by a neighbor who heard the breaking glass followed by the victim’s scream. Turns out the rock had been picked up from right outside the house, where it was used as a doorstop. The victim and police deduced the phone had been stolen once they tried to call it and found it was going immediately to voicemail; its owner said that’s not the way it was set when she had plugged it in. Police did not find the rock-throwing thief/thieves.
]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2014/08/west-seattle-crime-watch-rock-throwing-thief-steals-smartphone/feed/7Southwest Design Review Board report #1: Eye-clinic project @ 7520 35th SW sent back for second round of early-design guidancehttp://westseattleblog.com/2014/07/southwest-design-review-board-report-1-eye-clinic-project-7520-35th-sw-sent-back-for-second-round-of-early-design-guidance/
http://westseattleblog.com/2014/07/southwest-design-review-board-report-1-eye-clinic-project-7520-35th-sw-sent-back-for-second-round-of-early-design-guidance/#commentsFri, 11 Jul 2014 03:17:49 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=278901By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Making its debut before the Southwest Design Review Board, the proposed Clearview Eye Clinic project at 7520 35th SW was sent back for a second round of Early Design Guidance.

Concerns included how the building would interact with the evolving streetscape – busy as 35th SW is, and can be – and whether it was too close to the street, and should be set back as are other buildings. A paucity of landscape was identified as a concern, too, as was the fact that the proposal includes a parking area fronting 35th SW, and how the site’s vehicle entries should work.

This project will be a medical/commercial building – no residential component – and the architect described an intent for its look to be “crisp, clean, and clear.” (We first reported the project plan two months ago.)

Four of the SWDRB’s five members (with T. Frick McNamara absent) were present, with planner Tami Garrett from the Department of Planning and Development.

Architect Peter Bocek from PB Architects explained that the clinic doctors are building a permanent home for their practice, with a staff of about 20, because their lease at Westwood Village is expiring:

“This is not a speculative project – this is going to be an owner-occupied project.” (PB also designed Youngstown Flats [WSB sponsor], Bocek pointed out, also noting he’s a West Seattle resident.)

The applicant is buying the entire site – on the east side of 35th between SW Webster and the Hillcrest Apartments – it was explained, but they’re only proposing to build on the south half of the site (replacing structures including the current home of Red Star Pizza – the “design packet” lays out exactly which part of the site they are proposing to build on; John’s Corner Deli, for example, is staying, they said). “It’s a very long block,” pointed out Bocek, saying the challenge and opportunity is to create a building that “enhances” it, and that leaves development potential for “someone” to use the north half in the future.

Part of the ground-floor retail at this planned building will be the clinic’s eye-wear center, while the clinic itself and a surgery center will be on the second and third floors. The practice sees about 100 patients a day, according to the architects.

The architects brought four alternatives for massing – size and shape. All would position the building toward the south side of the site, with some parking within the building (for use by both staff and patients), and open surface parking immediately north of it; they’re hoping to have about 40 spaces. (And board chair Laird Bennion agreed later that they would need every space they could get.)

The project team’s preferred option, #4, would be “just what the clients need – no more, no less,” Bocek explained. Among other points, it would be set back 5 feet on the alley, across from a single-family neighborhood; it would be a few feet higher than the apartment building south of it. The alley behind the site is currently unimproved, which would change with development, the architects note. The preferred entry would be off 35th, but it would have an entry from the alley as well; as Garrett noted late in the discussion, the city prefers alley access, so getting 35th access would require a “departure” (rule exception). The board said it would support one access from each side, rather than the current potential for two off 35th.

Only a few people came to the meeting, and no in-person public comments were offered; chair Bennion said that neighbors sent written comments to the board, while saying they were unable to attend the meeting. One of the concerns from those neighbors that he conveyed during the “board questions” section was regarding the aforementioned alley, and Bocek said “our intent is to improve it from Webster to our south property line.”

Board member Todd Bronk wondered why, with the long block, the building was proposed to be pushed right up to the sidewalk, as if it were “engaging the parking lot instead of the sidewalk,” especially considering the fact that the apartment building to its south is set back. He also wondered about having the parking behind the building rather than having any of it right alongside 35th. Bocek noted that having the building line more of 35th would not be preferable from an architectural standpoint because, as an eye clinic, it will “have a lot of windowless space.” (Much of that would be It will have two lobbies, one for the clinic and one for the surgery center, since a separate entry is required by law, Bocek said, and both will be along 35th.

Board member Matt Zinski expressed a concern about the site having very little landscaping/open space, citing research that the latter is good for health and healing.

In board deliberations, “height/bulk/scale” were identified as the biggest issues, right off the top. Its status as a “midblock site on a very busy street” also was called out.

Board member Daniel Skaggs said that option 2 seemed to both be a bridge to the future and respect the single-family homes behind. Bennion countered by saying that he preferred Option 4 because future car-use patterns would likely change. Board members wondered how the recommendations they make now will affect future development possibilities, without taking sections of the streetfront out of commission.

They also looked ahead to the “evolution” of the neighborhood and cited the failure of the project to address pedestrians’ needs – “You can’t walk up to this project,” Bronk observed. Board members referred repeatedly to the fact, also, that this is a business that will be closed in the evenings, leaving a “big empty zone,” though that’s not necessarily something the design process can address in a major way. Bronk thought it would be helpful to see projects with a similar layout. Skaggs thought the proposed layout was generally “like a mall.” The board members weren’t inclined to grant permission for “three [two-way] entrances with dead-head parking.” They wondered if underground parking might be considered. In the end, they were leaning toward a version of design option #2, rather than the project team’s preferred #4, although the architects said they would like to riff off both of those, so the board agreed with that. Re: #4′s layout, Bronk suggested some elements of the South Delridge Walgreens – which has parking fronting a busy street (Roxbury) and yet screened.

What’s next: Another meeting will be scheduled for a second round of Early Design Guidance. In the meantime, you can comment on the project by e-mailing planner Garrett – her e-mail address is tami.garrett@seattle.gov.

(“Preferred” massing – size and shape, not design – from early renderings filed with the city)
The Southwest Design Review Board only meets if there are projects to review – and its two-Thursdays-a-month schedule has been open since its last meeting almost a month ago. But now there’s a date on the horizon: July 10th is tentatively scheduled as the Design Review debut for a project we first told you about in early May: A three-story eye clinic planned for 7520 35th SW, currently the site of Red Star Pizza (which, as reported in our earlier story, has been looking for a new location), and a 32-space parking area. The July 10th meeting is set for 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle; since that’s six weeks away, there’s always a chance the date could change, and we’ll publish an update if that happens.

In their fifth year at 7514 35th SW in Sunrise Heights, the owners of Red Star Pizza are looking for a new home.

Co-proprietor Mike Supino tells WSB they’ve been told they’ll have to clear out by year’s end, if not sooner, because the site’s owners are selling the property. No sale is on record with the county so far, but there’s an early-stage redevelopment proposal for a three-story medical building, described in city files as an “eye clinic.” Documents filed with the city in the past week further describe the project as a 13,000-square-foot clinic, with 1,460 square feet of retail and “more parking than required by city code” – 15 spaces are proposed in a garage, up to 51 on the surface, and the project proponents are hoping to keep it accessible from 35th, though current city codes usually encourage parking access from alleys.

Supino identified the future clinic owner as West Seattle Highline Eye Clinic, and one of the city documents indeed lists that firm as the applicant; The architect for the project, PB Architects, also worked on the clinic’s current space in Westwood Village. We sought comment from the clinic; our message for its owners has yet to be returned.

The site-plan documents indicate the project does not involve the building housing John’s Corner Deli, but that at least two residential structures on the property would be demolished, as would the small retail building housing Red Star.

Supino and wife Shannon Crossopened Red Star in fall 2009, after buying what had been Pizza Time. They had been operating a pizza shop under the Red Star name in the Pierce County town of Lakewood before that. Supino says they’d appreciate any leads on a suitable new spot; they’ve been looking but haven’t found a workable site yet.

More than a year before they opened the shop in 2009, the site was listed for sale, as reported here, along with the co-owned parcels north to Webster. It’s all zoned NC-40, which means buildings up to four stories (depending on the grade). Records show the owner has held the deli site on the corner for almost 30 years, and the south part of the site, where Red Star is, since 2006.

(Neighbor Appreciation Day at Station 37, photographed in 2011 by Cliff DesPeaux for WSB)
Going through football withdrawal? There’s lots to keep you busy this weekend. One thing we’re reminding you about quickly right now: Three West Seattle fire stations are open for tours 11 am-1 pm Saturday as part of the city’s Neighbor Appreciation Day: Station 11 in Highland Park at 16th/Holden, Station 32 in The Junction at 38th/Alaska, and Station 37 in Sunrise Heights at 35th/Holden. It’s your chance to get an up-close look WITHOUT having an emergency in your neighborhood!

]]>http://westseattleblog.com/2014/02/neighbor-appreciation-day-tomorrow-3-fire-stations-to-tour/feed/0Well-drilling, raingarden-digging for overflow-control project about to start in Sunrise Heights, Westwoodhttp://westseattleblog.com/2014/01/well-drilling-raingarden-digging-for-overflow-control-project-about-to-start-in-sunrise-heights-westwood/
http://westseattleblog.com/2014/01/well-drilling-raingarden-digging-for-overflow-control-project-about-to-start-in-sunrise-heights-westwood/#commentsMon, 27 Jan 2014 10:02:16 +0000WSBhttp://westseattleblog.com/?p=262700Three years after King County announced two very different plans for reducing combined-sewer overflows at two West Seattle pump stations, both projects are about to go into the major construction phase.

And now, the Barton basin project – 91 roadside raingardens on 15 blocks in Sunrise Heights and Westwood – has just had two pre-construction meetings. The project map has been updated, showing construction on eight blocks this year, seven blocks next year, and five more blocks in reserve if needed:

Thursday night brought a scene very different from an early project meeting in the same room a few months after the plan was first unveiled.

That meeting (WSB coverage here) filled the room; Thursday night, turnout was sparse. But the time between has featured numerous meetings and other types of outreach. Even this one was explained more as a chance for residents to talk one-on-one with project reps, if they still had questions, than as a big-group event. Nonetheless, those who showed up were given a presentation with “general information about the construction process.”

Project manager Mary Wohleb reminded everyone that the goal was to reduce overflows at the Barton Pump Station to one a year, from the current four. The project area is responsible for 45 percent of the flows to the pump station, so that’s why it was targeted.

She went over the map – same one shown above – recapping that the blue-marked blocks are those set for construction this year, orange-marked blocks for next year, green-marked blocks only if needed. The raingardens are mostly at the south end of blocks, to capture where the water runs during big storms.

Some of what’s been done already and is about to happen:

-15 gas-line services were “adjusted” last summer
*24 trees were transplanted in November. Non-transplantable trees will be taken out in the next few weeks; they promise two trees will be planted for every one removed. (Trees targeted for removal have just been flagged.)
*Deep infiltration wells will be drilled starting in a few weeks, at the end of the 15 blocks involved. This will take several months, until May, and then construction begins, with steps including:

That’s months two through four, counting plant establishment “so they can function when water is directed to the bioretention swales.” Then they’ll do gutter-flow tests to make sure water flows well through the system. And current midblock catch basins will be “abandoned.”

One person asked how long well-building will take; answer – it’ll take less than a week to build each one.

During construction there will be:

*Parking restrictions on streets
*Traffic revisions with signs and cones to direct cars around project area
*Emergency/local access maintained
*Access for home businesses, mail carriers, waste management (might have to move where you put your containers), delivery trucks
*Pedestrian access at all times

One resident requested early notification, whenever possible. KCWTD’s Kristine Cramer promised there also would be on-site help to direct people around the area. “The real active construction phase is about two months per block,” residents were told, with work hours typically 7 am-5 pm, though that might vary by season “to take advantage of daylight.” And when a block is under construction, they will hear from the project team “a lot,” they were promised. There’s an e-mail list and there’s a project hotline – 206-205-9184, that will be answered around the clock. Every project inquiry will get individual attention.

Then another concern that had surfaced three years ago – maintenance. Wohleb promised that the county has “dedicated funding for ongoing maintenance” and will come out from time to time and will do maintenance as needed.

In the beginning, the county warned, raingardens are “going to look more like soil than plants.” Finally, 3 to 5 years post-construction, it will look shrubby.

At 3-5 years, it will look shrubby.

And by the way, any area homeowners – not just in the raingarden blocks, but anywhere in the Barton basin – can check out voluntary green-stormwater infrastructure via RainWise, the voluntary incentive program to capture roof and yard runoff, offering rebates for installation of cisterns and home raingardens – already more than 20 in the area, and the opportunity for many more.

Shortly after that, the meeting returned to the format with which it had begun – project reps at tables around the room, answering questions one-on-one.

Join King County at one of two community meetings to prepare the neighborhood for upcoming construction activities. At the meeting, you can:

· Learn more about the construction schedule and sequence of activities
· Meet representatives from the construction contractor, Goodfellow Brothers
· Hear how King County works with neighbors during construction
· Learn about anticipated construction impacts
· Bring the kids! A kids activity table will be set up in the main room both days

6:01 PM UPDATE: The fire is “knocked down,” per radio communications (and then a moment later, “under control”). No injuries reported. (Yes, that’s a TV helicopter overhead checking it out.)

(Photo by Tony Bradley)6:17 PM UPDATE: Our crew at the scene says the fire was confined to one room of the house, but they’re not sure what started it, and they’re going to keep watch for a while in case of flare-ups or hot spots. The couple who live there got out OK, per SFD.

7:39 PM UPDATE: It’s been a busy night for fires around the city (though this is the only major incident in West Seattle so far), so the on-duty fire investigator has just arrived.

9:31 PM UPDATE: SFD says the fire was caused by an “overheated extension cord,” and estimates damage at $45,000.

On the same day that one of King County’s two current combined-sewer-overflow-reduction projects in West Seattle will be the subject of a pre-construction meeting (see our West Seattle Wednesday preview), the other one enters a new phase. As part of the Barton CSO project in Westwood and Sunrise Heights, 24 trees that will be transplanted into new homes – some public right-of-way, some private property – over the next three weeks, as a three-person contractor crew works to dig them up and move them, starting today. The transplants are meant to ensure the trees won’t be destroyed to make way for the bioswales/raingardens that the county is installing, starting next March, to capture rainwater before it gets into the combined-sewer system, therefore helping to keep millions of gallons of raw-sewage-contaminated water from overflowing into Puget Sound when the Barton Pump Station gets overloaded during storms. As shown in the photo we took this morning, the trees that are to be transplanted have been marked with ribbons and notes.

(Photos by Tony Bradley)
We’ve had some questions about a big police response in Sunrise Heights, near 32nd/Webster. Here’s what we have learned from Seattle Police Lt. Steve Strand at the scene: It started as a medic call – no details yet of the original call – but the person that needed help became combative toward the Seattle Fire crew, and police were called. While they were trying to get the combative man under control, he collapsed, police say. He has since been taken to Harborview; because he collapsed while police were dealing with him, that escalated the incident to a different level of investigation, which is what the SPD personnel on the scene are doing now.

We don’t have details so far about the person’s age or condition. But we’ll add anything more we find out.

Sunrise Heights residents who thought they heard gunfire around 4:30 this morning have found proof, and police have gone back for further investigation. The report we received mentioned a yellow or light-colored “muscle car” at the time shots were fired near 32nd and Kenyon (map) – police got there fast, we’re told, but the car was gone. Then this morning, our tipster found spent casings (including the one shown above) and a needle in the gutter, across the street from the east wall of the Westside School campus:

They counted five, but just texted us to say that while police were there a short time ago, a sixth was found, all 9mm. No reports of injuries or property damage.

In a separate incident, we have a report from Tom in Highland Park, who reports three shots fired from a car last night around 10:30 pm at 15th and Holden (map), by the apartments that drew a major response back on Tuesday. The call is noted in an SPD auto-tweet but as with all auto-tweets, no further details.

One more Crime Watch note that does NOT involve gunfire – an Arbor Heights resident reports a house in the neighborhood was broken into during the day Friday, 39th and 106th (map), and urges “vigilance,” observing that it went unnoticed until the resident discovered it later.

(County map – the larger, shaded area is the entire “basin” that feeds the Barton Pump Station)
After the latest round of research and feedback, King County says fewer bioswales (19, instead of the original 31) are planned for Westwood and Sunrise Heights neighborhoods where “green stormwater infrastructure” is planned to reduce combined-sewer overflows at the pump station the area feeds – and fewer streets will be involved. That’s part of an announcement they’ve just sent about an open house coming up a week from Saturday:

Neighbors are invited to an open house on Saturday, Oct. 13 to learn about design updates to King County’s Barton Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control project in West Seattle.

The open house is set for 10 a.m. to noon at Westside School, 7740 34th Ave. S.W., Seattle.

Combined sewer overflows occur during heavy rain when stormwater fills sewers to capacity in older parts of the city. To comply with state water quality requirements, King County will control CSOs from the Barton Pump Station through a system of bioretention swales and Green Stormwater Infrastructure in West Seattle’s Sunrise Heights and Westwood neighborhoods.

Project staff will share a number of design updates that reflect new technical information and community member feedback, including:

· A reduction in the number of bioswales and impacted streets.
· Fewer and smaller curb bulbs to preserve parking.
· Preservation of property access and tree canopy.
· Rebates and financial incentives for residents to voluntarily install raingardens and cisterns through Seattle’s RainWise program.